


The Window In The Wall

by PennPayper



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - No Powers, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-24
Updated: 2015-03-28
Packaged: 2018-03-19 10:43:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3607188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PennPayper/pseuds/PennPayper
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Agent Emma Swan has been with the Secret Service for years. She has always served at the president's pleasure. But when he requires her service once again for his wife, Regina, Emma must decide if his pleasure is worth her heartache.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

It was the way she danced, how freely and easily she moved on the floor, that took my breath away. Her simple white evening gown flowed in the space around her, as her body stretched in a rhythm all her own. Hours earlier, that dress presented her as an angel on stage. Now the thin and airy fabric draped her limbs like silk on a siren.

She had several drinks throughout the day. Hopefully the last was currently in her hands. Drinking made her a little more giddy and a little less withdrawn. It was why she was in the middle of the room, using her phone as a radio and the small, empty space as her dance floor.

There was no one else on the floor tonight. Nearly everyone had left hours ago. The room had been packed, people cramming in corners to fit in. A few chosen words and they had not even bothered to pretend that they wanted to stay in the small room. Nothing was set up for them anyway, except a couple of tables, a few chairs and an half empty bar.

Why pretend to be content to stay there? They were all too busy with too many new plans and too many new decisions confronting them. Time could not be wasted. And that moment, they saw her as wasted time. They did what I could not do. They left the small box of a room. Left me alone with her.

While I sat in my little wobbly seat in the corner, she inhabited the entire space. She owned it with every move she made. Her head pushed back against the night, with her eyes directed towards the ceiling. My eyes fell on the slim yet tan neck, looking so delicate as it rocked from side to side. The urge to touch it, to follow its trail down her body, nearly overwhelmed me.

I sat still. I ignored all emotion, like my training required. I paid no attention to the heat rising in me as I watched her dance. She hummed as she rocked. Her hair cascaded down her back like a rich chocolate river covering a pale river bed.

Did she notice how much control she had over me, over my world? At this moment, I seriously doubted it. Her focus was on the music filling the air. Her lithe body flowed with it as it boomed from a tiny speaker. She carelessly laughed at her own amusement and took a sip from the near empty champagne glass in her hand.

I knew I should not be watching her, but who in their right mind would ever look away. The sway of her hips drew the eyes like a moth to a forbidden flame. Her call was deadly, but its heat undeniable.

This was the moment I realized my life, as I knew it, was over. I should have quit then. I should have turned away from the all too enticing sight. But I looked. I stared. I consumed her like a flower by a window in an otherwise dark room. I reached for my sunlight.

She startled me when turned to me, but I made sure not to let it show. I was paid to be a wall and walls had no emotions. She met my blank stare with a smirk that spoke more of sadness than smugness. I could not tell if she knew what I was thinking. I was fairly certain she did not. But something made her gyrations stop, even as the music continued. She sat her near empty glass of wine on the table nearest to her and held out her hands.

"Ms. Swan." She said my name as if it was the beginning of a prayer. If it was, it was me that was silently doing the worshiping.

"Dance with me."

I did not know if it was a request or an order. But the darkness that had taken over her eyes left no doubt that she expected only one answer. I cleared my throat before I told her what she did not want to hear.

"Madame First Lady, I believe it is time to call it a night."

She chuckled at my attempt at turning her down. She really was someone unaccustomed to hearing a negative response. She bit her lip and watched me for a moment, weighing what to say next. I imagined my blonde hair turning gray under her extensive stare. Her eyes examined me, slowly moving downward until her gaze hit the floor. It quickly bounced back to meet mine.

"Ms. Swan, how long have you been on my detail?"

"Since your husband officially became a nominee."

She nodded. Her eyes never left mine. "And do you know what he became today?"

"Yes, ma'am. It's why I say Madame First Lady I believe it's time to call it a night."

She put on a pout about as fake as a devil's smile. If I had not spent months with her on the trail, I would have believed it. This was not a woman who pouted when she did not get her way. I had been witnessed to it before. She was a woman who pushed back, not demurely whined or gave in. Still she tried her tactic with me.

"I am celebrating Ms. Swan." The whine in her voice hit a perfect pitch. Inside I chuckled at the blatant tactical move. Outside I remained the wall, unmoved.

"You would not be so callous to deprive me of my private celebration. You serve at the pleasure of the president, do you not?"

"Yes ma'am."

Her tactic suddenly changed. Gone was the demure pout and whine. It was replaced by a soft smile and smoky, hooded eyes. The alarms immediately went off in my head. As always, I ignored them.

I watched her carefully as she took five small steps in my direction. Five small steps with legs that peeked out through the slits in her grown. Five steps with legs meant to be caressed and tested for smoothness. Five steps that tested my resolve in who I was and who I wanted to be. Five steps brought her to me.

I should have stood. I remained sitting. I should have back away. I remained in the same spot, centimeters away from her. As it were, she looked down at me. Her body framed within my open legs. She was in my space. If it bother her, she did not let it show. Plus, let's face it. It bothered me a whole hell of a lot.

"You agree you serve at my husband's pleasure, Ms. Swan. Does not your service then extend to considering my pleasure?"

Her hands landed on my shoulders as she leaned over me. I think she wanted to see where my eyes would fall. Would they drift towards her cleavage, heaving near my left cheek? Or was I to look into the gap at the neck of her dress, made from her leaning? She did not know where my eyes would go. Hell, neither did I. We were both surprised when my gaze meet hers.

I caught her unguarded look of trepidation and weariness, before her eyes with blank. Her eyebrows shot up as if asking a question of me. Did I see what she hoped I did not? Would that change anything?"

"Dance with me, Ms. Swan." She whispered. This time the uncertainty slipped into her voice.

"Madam First—"

"Regina." She cut me off. Her frown was the most sincere expression she had given me all night. It was if she did not like the title. Perhaps, she was just unused to it. I sighed, suddenly tired of the game we played. It had been a long day spent withdrawing myself from the world. I was the wall. But even walls sometimes needed a break.

"I am sure the President is waiting to receive you in your quarters, ma'am." I hoped she would hear my need to be released from my duties in my voice and took pity. Who was I kidding? She saw the small crack in the wall and smiled. She had revealed a weakness to me and I had not used it against her. She would not do the same.

She grabbed my hand and pulled gently, removing me from my chair. Her arms wrapped around my neck. She removed the pin I used to hold my hair in place. Why did I let her? I did not know. But at that moment I did not have the strength to stop her. She pulled me close and rested her head on my shoulder.

"Madame First Lady-" I tried again, only to be cut off.

"Regina," she ordered again.

"The President, ma'am."

It was a small reminder of a big presence in both of our lives. He was the reason we were here. We were together. He was the reason she danced and I watched. But as I looked in her eyes, those smoky brown eyes, I realized the big presence, the harsh light that loomed over us, was not there. At that moment, there was just her and I.

Her fingers slid through the escaping blonde locks now resting on my shoulder. She sighed.

"Let's make him wait Ms. Swan. Shall we?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What I love about writing fanfics is the ability we have to test ourselves. This is a fic of several first for me. It's my first swan queen fic and my first in first person, for instance.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this story I'm set on telling. And by all means, feel free to share and opine. I want to hear from you as much as you hopefully would like to hear from me.


	2. Chapter 1

When I first heard about the field office in Idaho, my body cringed with the thought of leaving Washington, DC. What the hell was there to protect and investigate in Idaho? Two years later, I was surprised by my contentment.

I sat in a small office, just one of a little more than a dozen agents. The location nearly forgotten among a farmer's field. The equipment was old. The computer in my office had to have been one rolled out in the early nineties. It still had its original floppy disk drive. But the work was easy, and it actually afforded me a social life. Imagine me, Emma Swan, happy? Imagine me making someone else happy?

Apparently I did. At least that was what Lannie told me when she asked me to move in with her. It had been yet another surprise. We had only been dating officially four months. We met while I was berating her private security firm for interfering with our investigation into a counterfeit credit card ring.

We clashed over the limits the company was trying to put on my team. She thought it was a culture clash between the very private Chinese owners and the American authorities. I thought it was plain bullshit. Luckily we worked it out over a late dinner and an even later breakfast.

Four months later, six months if you count the no string attached faze, we were living together. It all sounded rushed, but maybe it was just time for me to embrace the stability of a simple life. It seemed life was pushing me to settle down. Maybe I should just follow it.

Something was holding me at bay though, I admitted to myself. It was keeping me from moving forward. I did not want to put a name to it though. For me, putting a name to it made it real and gave it power.

I put all thoughts of my leisure life to the side as my phone rang. Retirement could wait tomorrow. I leaned back in my desk and answered what I was expecting to be another call from headquarters about slow moving reports. Headquarters was always a pain about paperwork. But the phone call was not from headquarters. It made me giddy and wary at the same time. Because at the other end of the line was my old buddy, Augustus Booth.

"Emma Swan, they really got you working the field office in Idaho? Shit, I owe someone fifty bucks."

I paused as I let the reality of who I was hearing from sink in. He still had his loud baritone voice. It carried the attitude and style of a rocker without the talent.

"August?" I asked although I already knew the answer.

"Well, it ain't the damn Easter Bunny." I laughed as I heard his vibrant voice. No one else spoke like August, like a man with centuries of stories to tell and only one lifetime to tell them.

We had been more than friends for more than years. In a lot of ways we were witnesses to each other's lives. Through August, I got to watch the clear blue eyes of a boy sharpen with time, and his wavy bright brown hair speckle with gray because of age and war. He was my father, my brother, and my best friend. I considered him my only real family. He was the reason I joined the Navy. The man shaped my knowledge of the world. And though that knowledge was rough, he was alway kind and fair.

"Augee, Idaho is not so bad. I have a set schedule, a nice view and I don't get shot at often."

"Sounds boring."

"Unbelievably so." We both shared a laugh. My body instinctively relaxed while I was on the phone with him. It had been a while since I had heard his voice. The last time we talked the president was heading for an overseas visit in Israel. August was, of course, his lead agent.

I was only hoping to follow in his footsteps when I became a sailor. A single wish to be like the brave man who was my only family led me down the path I stood on at that moment. August was my immediate support officer in the special forces. He was my supervising officer when we served together in the White House. In sync as always, he protected the President. I looked after the First Lady. To this day, I regretted the disappointment I became to him.

I made sure I was comfortable in my seat and prepared myself to hear some stories about his latest overseas trip with the Commander in Chief. The boys can get rowdy when they were away from the White House. If I could not have excitement, I would get a taste of it from him. But before the conversation got underway, I heard several commanding knocks at my office door.

"Who the hell is that?" I muttered. I sat up and sat the phone down, immediately irritated.

"Opportunity, my friend." August's voice drifted from the phone I no longer held to my ear. I picked up the phone, but he was already gone. The beating at my door had not stopped. It rang like a wooden bell tower, muffled while rhythmic. I rushed to the door, ready to rip into whoever was at the end of that hand causing such noise.

When I opened it, the irritation disappeared, replaced with confusion. For I was face to face with a face I had not seen in person in the last two years. Shock hit, then quickly wore off. My training kicked in, and I went to attention. All emotion fell from my face.

"Mr. President, sir. I apologize for my lack of a better greeting. I did not know you were in town."

"That's good, Emma. Because I'm not supposed to be," he said with a light chuckle.

He did not ask if he could come in. He was the president. He did not need to ask. I moved to the side, opening the space for him and his detail, four agents in all. August stood besides the President, grinning like a fool.

We did not hug or greet each other in any way. They were obviously there on business. It was not protocol to behave as friends at the moment. But when the meeting was over, August would hear an earful from me. The sparkle in his blue eyes told me he awaited the tongue lashing with glee.

"It is strangely homey here." President Loxley muttered, trying to fill the silence in the room. He stood in the center of my small office, commanding the attention of everyone as an excellent politician would always do.

"Thank you sir." My reply was automatic. I really was not in the mood to talk. By the stern look on his face, I could tell neither was he.

"Let's make this quick." He paused, looking me over. "I need you back on detail."

My training left my side for one moment. The wall was gone. The surprise was easily displayed on my face. The president saw and frowned. His displeasure was a special kind of reprimand, one an agent could not escape.

Like a bleep on a radar, I quickly replaced the surprised expression with one of emptiness. He could not be suggesting what I thought he was suggesting. What husband would ever ask that of me, of himself and of his family?

"Excuse me, sir." I needed him to verify what he had just asked without asking. His intent needed to be clear. "But I was never on your detail."

His gaze became a glare, hard and direct as it fell on me.

"I need you back with Regina." He said her name with a sharp edge. It was unneeded, I had been cut by it enough to be wary. Exactly what was this man up to? When I made no move to jump at the offer, his glare moved from me and onto the boys.

"We need the room."

The command was simple, uttered so many times by people in power. But the way he said it never failed at bring a chill down my spine. August gave me a look of alarm but nodded. He ushered the entire detail out of the room, before shutting the door behind him.

After the door shut, the president physically relaxed. The hard set of his shoulders fell. His back no longer held him up in a straight, strict line. He leaned against my desk and gave me a barely there smile.

"Go ahead, Emma. Say what you need to say. I am not President Loxley now. I am only Robin."

I stood still, never losing my pose of attention.

"Sir, you were never only Robin."

His smile tightened at my words. He nearly stepped towards me, but he held himself back. As I stood stiff as a board, eyes front, I finally really looked at him. The man was not my friend. We had never been friend. He was my president.

I could see why he was president. It was not his policies, though they were solid. They strengthened the middle class and slimmed down the economic gap in the country. But before Robin Loxley sold the nation on his plans, he sold us on him.

He was America's golden dream come true. He embodied it, born in rural America, raised by parents who were immigrants. He rose to political power by fighting big business in favor of the workers. Those, he said, he would never call the little guys.

He married into political royalty. Regina Mills' had a member from every important office except the presidency. She played at the same level as Caroline Kennedy. When the country elected him they knew they were buying a brand. Out with Kennedy's Camelot. Robin, Regina and their son Henry was the country's new political fairytale.

He had the entire nation in the palm of his hands. His family looked like a gift created from Hollywood. And he was the lead. His shaggy brown hair gave him the almost boyish look JFK once mastered. His warm blue gray eyes politely asked you to trust him. If I had not known any better I would have fallen for it, hook, line and sinker. Sadly, I knew better.

"Look Emma, I know things did not end well the last go round." He began. A scoff slipped from my throat before I could hold it back. He shrugged.

"I nearly lost my job." I reminded him. He did not need it, but it made me feel better.

"Yes, you nearly did." He emphasized the one word, as if I should be grateful. I actually was. He could have not only fired me, but also made sure that I never made a reasonable living again. He had not done that. I was very grateful. But hearing him point it out was like a needle to my side. It was not the most painful but it was annoying as hell. He smirked. He seemed to enjoy being annoying as hell.

"I know you have mad e comfortable life here." My ears perked at his statement. They seemed to be the beginning of a threat deferred. His words caused a new worry in me. He was the leader of the free world after all. I listened with new interest as he continued.

"I was content to leave you here, Emma. But you save our lives. And I never forgot it. She never forgot it." He paused for dramatic effect. I ordered myself to stand still, to wait.

"Regina needs you. She is in danger, Emma." His voice was hushed like he had just spilled a government secret. My eyes wanted to roll. They did not. I probably should have been more concerned, but Regina Mills was not a frail or helpless woman.

She was the First Lady, one I had gone toe to toe with and had barely survived. Plus, she was always in danger. It was why she had a detail in the first place. All of those reasons still did not stop the concern from creeping into my heart.

"I'm sure the First Lady has several trusted agents—" I began.

"She has no one I trust more than you." He interrupted. I controlled my scoff this time and my face. Its expression belied the incredulousness of his words and the moment.

"There is August, sir."

He nodded. He could always demote his top agent if the threat was serious enough. He chose not to do that. Even he could hear the lie in his own words.

"Fair. I'll amend it to say she has no one she trusts more than you. She needs you. She wants you."

The last three words did it for me as he knew they would. I sighed and relaxed my stance, giving up any facade of only following orders. He knew he won. What else was I to do? Regina Mills needed no one. But the president of the United States had just admitted she needed me.

He could have lead with those words. I wondered why he had not. It was all he ever had to say. He relaxed. His body leaned a little more onto the desk as he crossed his legs. I thought the conversation was over. I was an idiot. Robin Loxley would never let a conversation end without asserting his control. Once again, he was the president, not a friend.

"Would you have really said no to my request, Emma?" Those words left his mouth, and I knew what he wanted. With a steel spine, I gave it to him.

"No, sir. I am a public servant of the United States of America."

He stood right in front of me and grinned haughtily.

"You still serve at my pleasure? As always?"

I nodded. What was else could I do?

"Yes sir. I do."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all of your wonderful feedback. You just don't know how much I enjoy reading the comments and am surprised by the kudos. 1) because I know you didn't have to say anything. 2) because I believe you are being so genuine. 
> 
> And for that I can't thank you enough.


	3. Chapter 2

It felt good walking the halls of the White House again. With August by my side, it felt like old times. The ear piece in my ear crackled with constant information as usual. The weapon at my side comforted me as well as protected others. It was as if nothing had changed and the last two years away had been just a dream.

That was until I noticed the stares. Not just from fellow agents, but from aides, cabinet officials... hell even interns. An uneasy feeling settled in my gut, weighing my entire body down.

"August, what's going on?" I talked low enough so only he could hear me. I saw his jaw clenched. That was the only sign he gave that he had heard my question. He kept walking, never slowing down his pace.

"There is nothing going on. Keep up," he ordered as we turned a corner. He headed for the private elevators. I stayed at his side. Once there, he punched in a quick code, scanned his badge, and we were in. The heavy door opened for us. We set in silence as they slowly closed. Once we were behind the protection of those steel door, I turned to him.

"They know." I did not need to ask. I had seen the looks, the smirks. As we walked away, I had heard the whispers.

"They think they know," August confirmed in a stilted voice. He kept his eyes forward, he avoided my direction completely. I was missing something. I knew it. I replayed every face I passed by on the way to the elevators. If they knew why was it not public? Emma could not believe any of the White House aides really had an interest in protecting Regina. Something was definitely awry. I neither had the patience nor the time to figure it out.

"Augee?" It was one word. Not really a word. But In it, I laid all my questions at his feet.

He turned as he heard my nickname for him. We never used it in public. We tried our best to keep our conversations formal. Though people knew of our nearly familial relationship, technically we were not family. It was why he got to be my supervising officer. Neither of us took for granted how easily that could change.

August shot a quick look at the camera above us to our left. There were officers not only watching us but also listening to us. This was the White House. It was to be expected. That would not let him off the hook with me.

"Augee?" This time I added a plea to the word. This was as close to privacy we would ever achieve. He knew it. Pass those doors he could not answer my questions. But in the quietness of that elevator he could. He sighed and pushed the button to stop the elevator.

"When you left, rumors spread rampant. They eventually settled." I did not like the somber tone he used when he uttered this last three words. I did not know what was next but I steeled myself for the worse.

"And what did they settle on?" I asked. August took a deep breath and quietly answered.

"Everyone thinks you were having an affair with the president." He said it so quietly, anyone not me would need bat ears to hear it. In my ear though it sounded like a huge cannon, nearly deafened me. I looked up at him with my eyes wide and my mouth gaping open. I had not expected that.

"What in the hell-?!"

"I know." He said, cutting off the beginning of my rant. To say I was thrown under the bus was putting it mildly. I was more than thrown. I was flung! I was crawling after being blown away. August saw the shock in my eyes. He sympathized but it did not stop his warning.

"This is now the consensus, Emma."

"Why? Why would..." I froze mid-question as a sick feeling hit me. I shook my head not believing what my mind was processing.

"Are you telling me that the alternative was so-"

"I am telling you that the alternative did not fit the narrative as well as the consensus." His calm words only caused the rage in me to grow. It was not that I did not earn a black stain on my name. But if I would be taken down by something, it should not be lies.

The entire situation was a struggle for me to comprehend completely. Then it clicked. It just clicked, much like a light switch. There was darkness. A second later, there was light. But this light was not pure.

August knew the exact moment when all of it became clear to me by the darkening of my mood. He had always been good at reading me. For the entire conversation, he spoke like a robot and watched me like a hawk. He was waiting for me to voice my frustration, then my acceptance.

Only I did not want to say anything. To voice my frustration was to put words on secrets best left in the past. To give my acceptance would be shutting down a part of me that took me years to embrace.

I did not sleep with the president. I would never say I did. I would not allow that part of me I had once stuff into the shadows to be pushed back into the crevices of my life. They were basically asking me to do it again.

I did not want to believe it. President Loxley would rather have the entire White House believe he cheated on the First Lady with her own secret service, than some of the most secretive people in the world know what really happened.

I remained silent and still. Finally, August just let it go. With a long sigh, he started back up the elevator. We stepped off the lift into an area less busy than most. It was the residential area. Few people actually made it this far into the White House.

As August I walked the hallways the tensions from the elevators permeated each step. That was not needed. August should not be punished for sharing with me information most would not. It was not his fault. He was a friend and I needed to treat him as such. I focused on the entire point of me being here.

"So when do I learn about this big bad that's targeting the First Lady?"

August's body immediately relaxed, showing relief in the change of subjects.

"After we get everything set up, I'll take you through the files myself. Most of it is taking care of. Your access has been restored. Your equipment has been updated. We just have one more thing to do."

We turned the final corner to the final corridor, at least for us right now. That was when I saw her. It was if the walls had shifted in front of me. She was a sight for sore eyes, and my eyes had been aching for two years. She stood in the room at the end of the corridor. So much had changed, but not enough to make me forget.

She stood out even while surrounded by her staff. Her regal posture made even the tallest man appear small beside her. Her dark hair was shorter. It swayed just above her shoulders with a slight curl at the tip. But I would bet my soul it was still as silky and soft as I remember. It used to slide through my fingers much like fabric being gently pulled.

The two years dripped away as I watched her. Her dress was simple. Simple for Regina that is. Her white blouse did not stick to her hourglass figure nor did it abandoned it. It displayed it perfectly and modestly. The blouse was completely button but still drew eyes to her bosom.

It was not the shirt that framed her like spandex. Her pinstripe skirt did that job, and it did well. It hugged her deliciously round hips, clutching her much like longing fingers. It slid down her bottom framing it before stopping at the knees. I drunk the sight in, but it only made me more thirsty.

Sirens went off in my head. I should not be here, my mind screamed.

"Emma?" August said in a hush tone as he cleared his throat. I realized that I had stopped walking at some point, using all my energy to stare. I cannot say it was a waste. Meeting his all too understanding eyes, my face heated with embarrassment. With a quick nod, we continued the walk.

She noticed me before anyone else in the room. I watched as her eyes roamed up and down my body. Her expression remained blank. But when they fell directly on me, meeting my glare, something hit me. I froze.

I met her blank stare with a frown. She may have wanted to remove all of her emotions from that look but one had slipped through. The anger that had visited me earlier was back two folds when I turned to August.

"Regina did not know?" It felt like a yell. It was an angry murmur.

"Calm down Emma." August hissed out as he pulled me away from the room. He led me into a vacant office just before we made it to the First Lady. He closed the door and looked out the window to see if we had drawn any attention.

"She did not know, August." I was furious. My mouth had taken on a metallic taste that I was sure must be the taste of foam since I was that angry.

"You both told me she was behind this!"

"Agent, calm yourself." August ordered. His arms grasped my shoulders as if he wanted to shake me. I pulled myself from his grasp and began to pace the room.

"I would have never came if you had told me the truth. I can't believe you lied."

August huffed so derisively, I stopped pacing and looked up to see if his mocking tone matched his expression. They did not. He wore the man who had not slept in days, beleaguered by circumstances.

"Don't fool yourself Emma. You would have been here eventually. We both know it does not matter if you want to be here. It doesn't matter if she wants you here. It only matters that he wants you here."

No lies lay in his words. I knew I was really only here at the bequest of the President. Knowing it was not accepting it.

"Why does he want me here?" The words barely came out of my mouth, but strong was the need I'm my thoughts to grasp the mind that seem to play with my life as if I was a piece in a chess game. August leaned against the wall and looked me firmly in the eyes.

"A lot happened while you were away. Agents we respect walked, fed up with the royal pain in the ass you left behind. You know how she is when it comes to having her way." He ran his fingers through his hair. It was his most common tell of his own frustration.

"But she trust you, Emma. She listened to you."

"August, how am I supposed to get her to follow anything I say when she does not want me here?"

He shrugged. "That's not my problem. It's yours, so you need to figure it out. She does need you. You are our best agent." He paused , giving me a wiry smile. "Second best anyway."

I could not return his smile. Her blank expression was busy, replaying in the back of my mind.

"This is hell," I muttered.

"Welcome to the White House." He replied with a smirk, then opened the door. He waited as I exited. We both entered the First Lady's quarters, but we stood at the door. Regina occupied several rooms near the President's quarters. Past First Ladies had used the rooms for a personal office or extra rooms for their staff. One had even turned the rooms into a sewing and fitting area to go with her hobby of making clothes.

Regina turned the rooms into her living quarters. They were warmly decorated where the rest of the White House felt like either a mausoleum or a museum. The room she now stood in appeared to be her sitting room. It was strange to be in the room again. It reminded me how Regina hated doing official business in her official offices upstairs. I made a note of the security hassle that must be and promised myself to look into it.

"Ms. Swan."

Those two words and the chill in which they were said drew my attention back to the matters at hand. I scanned the room of aides in attendance. There were five of them. All of them eagerly watched me. I read the scorn on their faces but ignored it. There was only one face I truly cared about in that moment. And her face was once again frustratingly blank.

"Madame First Lady."

"I hear congratulations are in order. It seems you are back from the dangerous fields of Ohio." Her words said more than what was spoken. She made it clear she heard about my return and did not okay it herself. A heaviness fell on me. This was going to be a long assignment.

"I was actually in Idaho, ma'am."

"Whatever." She replied as if it she could not have cared less if had been Antartica. The distance in her voice made me want to punch a wall. "We are just thrilled to see that you returned safely."

"Safely from the fields of Idaho..." I snarked. She turned steel eyes on me. Well, there was some emotion. I cleared my throat and finished with a "ma'am."

She let my less than professional behavior slide and grabbed an attaché that was sitting in the chair besides her.

"Well, I will leave you to re-familiarize yourself with the lay of this grand old land. It seems I have a prior engagement."

My ears perked at the news. The chance of actual action caused my heartbeat to speed in anticipation.

"Shouldn't I be there? At your side?"

"Calm your ruffled feathers Ms. Swan." She reprimanded me like an owner with a pet. All she needed was the rolled up newspaper. This was definitely not the Regina I walked away from two years ago.

"We have nothing that concerns you. The event is being held within these well-armored pearl walls." She stepped up to me, closer than we had been together in a long while. Her face were mere inches from mine. I could see the sneer on her mouth form. I felt the frozen breeze from the cold in her eyes.

She looked right at me, not blinking even once, when she uttered, "There is no need for you."

Her words could have been taken several ways, but the look of revilement she gave me was clear as day. She did not look away after she said it. Neither did I. We stood a breath away from each other, staring each other down.

The atmosphere around us was charged. I did know if one of us was going to throw a punch or pull the other in for a kiss. She broke the stalemate by stepping back. Turning on her heels, she walked briskly out of the room. Her aides trailed her.

"Damn. it's cold in here."

I turned towards the new voice that filled the silence left behind after her exit. An African American man, about my age or slightly older, stood against the wall. His stance was relaxed. On his face was a whisper of a smile. August made the introductions.

"Emma, this is Lance Morgan. He is the other agent that will be on the 24-7 detail."

"There is only two?" I was shocked. They had made it seem like this was a defcon one situation, a highly dangerous time for the First Family. Yet Regina only had two guards who would be around her all day.

"There are four of you." August said, reading my mind and nodding at the absurdity of the number. "You will rotate to sit on both the 'rise and shine' crew or the "fourth meal" team."

I laughed. "Who came up with those names?"

"Henry." August answered in all seriousness. "This was the compromise. Larger regular detail. Smaller around the clock coverage."

"He means," Lance said kicking himself from the wall. "There is only four of us left to keep the Evil Queen from raising a storm."

"Evil Queen?" My eyebrows shot up. Regina's code name had been 'Queen' before I left. All of the agents agreed it fit her well. It seems it had taken a darker tone since then. I had no time to ask more question, thanks to the familiar buzz in my earpiece.

"Hood's on the move." August immediately perked up. I shook my head. Not everything changed it seemed. It looked like the code for the president was still Hood. It matched his policy style. And it seemed August was as anxious as always to follow him. She could not blame him for loving the chance to do something.

"I got to go." August gave a quick nod. Any other time and place, there would have been a hug.

"Lance will take you through the setup. I will be back with the files." He said as he walked towards the door. I went to Lance with questions already forming in my head.

"And Emma?" August called back. I turned to catch his award winning smile.

"Welcome home." He quickly disappeared out the door, not catching my middle finger salute.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I usually reply to every comment but I've bern posting these right before my busiest part of the day. I apologize. 
> 
> But I have read them all and they are awesome. Thank you.


	4. Chapter 3

_"Let's make him wait Ms. Swan. Shall we?"_

_Her arms were wrapped around me. Her breath was tickling my neck. And her body was firmly against mine. I was quickly losing the battle before me. This was not a predicament any agent should know how to deal with. It was time to put an end to it._

_I stepped out of her arms, claiming back my personal space. She froze, surprised at my swift retreat. I had moved less than a dozen steps away from her, but it was enough to maid my position clear._

_Her body stood still in the middle of the room. Her hands fell to her side. She did not look at me. But from my vantage point, I could see the confusion and frustration on her face. What surprised me though was the utter look of sadness that overtook all of the other emotions. Standing in that small room with me, I had never seen her look so alone. It shook me._

_"Madame First Lady..."_

_"He is not there." Her voice was not gentle nor was it harsh. She spoke in a bland monotone that was so unlike her. Her eyes never left the floor, but her arms wrapped around her middle as if she was her only comfort. In that moment I was useless to her. I had made it that way. I felt it as surely as I could feel each breath I took. She no longer looked to me to be her dance partner. She looked to no one._

_"He is out celebrating. My guess is he is with the one he credits for his success." She tilted her head and finally looked at me. A shadow of a smile barely reached her lips let alone her eyes._

_"Do you know what I think of that, Miss Swan? I am of the belief that he should celebrate to his heart's content." She turned away once again, walking to the counter where her phone sat. Her steps were steady. Her voice was not._

_"But I was on the trail with him. I attended every single speech... Every town hall... Every debate. I share in his failures. I share in his success. So I too will celebrate to my heart's content."_

_She turned up the music and began to dance on her own. Once again, all alone. I watched her, as I did earlier in the night. This time everything felt wrong. I felt wrong. I was the wall. I was there to protect the First Lady. Yet in my first call to duty, with her position solidified, I had not protected her. I had caused her to stand alone. That did not work for me._

_Six steps. It took only six firm steps to the First Lady's phone. I quickly shut off the music drifting from it. The music was so depressing even my ears cried out. They were now happy. She, on the other hand, turned to me with so much fire in her eyes that I saw smoke._

_"Miss Swan," she breathed harshly._

_"Regina..." I replied simply. At her name the fire immediately dissipated revealing an uncomfortable shock. I saw it and soldiered on. I am the wall, I reminded myself._

_"If you want me to join you in a dance, it can't be that music. That is terrible dance music."_

_"Excuse me, Miss Swan. There is nothing terrible about Santana. Unless you find genius to be the mark of the beast."_

_She stood there with fight in her eyes and her hands firmly on her hips. The sadness of moments ago was gone. My charge was back. I smiled at her spirit and grabbed her phone._

_"I am sure he is great for the parties you usually throw, but you want a dance party. And a dance party needs..." I paused as I found my song of choice on the Internet. "This," I said as the beat of the drum filled the room._

_As the rhythm took over, I cha-chaed my way to her with a smile on my face. She shook her head vehemently, but I could see the smile threatening to appear on her face. She was fooling no one, not even herself. It helped that I probably looked pretty foolish trying to cha-cha. I was never known for my rhythm on the dance floor. When the accented vocals of the lead singer came in, her eyebrows shot up._

_"Miss. Swan, I am not dancing to that."_

_"Come on. You said you want to celebrate to your heart's content. What's more content than being on top of the world?"_

_Instead I spun her into my arms, taking delight in her yelp of surprise, and led her through a booty shaking, robot breaking, laughter filled celebratory dance. Tomorrow the rest of her detail would be there and I seriously doubted we would ever be in the same space alone again. But for that three minutes and twelve seconds, it felt like we were on top of the world. And I can't begin to describe how glorious it was._

* * *

* * *

 

Chirping birds woke me up on my first day in rotation. Not real birds of course, just the current technology's best mimicking job. The Snow White serenade immediately started me off on the wrong foot. I hated the sound of bird chirping. It reminded me of the outdoors, more specifically the woods. And when I thought of the woods, I thought of one powerful man's obsession with it.

An obsession so powerful that it drove him to force his family (and those who protected them) to spend torturous days and nights among the elements. No one wanted to be there. For two weeks his detail became his merry men. Her detail became victims of circumstance. Much to their dismay, they lived trapped in the dirt, the musk, the unbelievable filth of living like a homeless hermit. All for him to feel closer to Mother Nature. I shuddered in disgust. Needless to say again, I hated the woods.

It was obvious someone had changed the alarm setting on my phone. I only needed one guess to figure out whom. It was my own fault for making it easy for August to guess my password. He was the only one who could have possibly figured it out. Really, who else knew about my unadulterated love for video games to the point that for three years in early teens I secretly called myself Link? The jerk knew things about me. And with glee, he used them to bring me his brand of big brother misery.

I grumbled as I got out of bed. Delightful thoughts of August's murder filled my mind. Luckily for him, the grumbles changed to a grin as I looked at my suit hanging on the closet door of my hotel room. If yesterday made my return official, today locked it into reality. The sight of that simple, pressed suit made everything easier. The trip back into the folds, the rumors, missing Lannie. It even made the surprise unpleasant reunion with Regina a little easier to swallow.

What was up with her anyway? I closed my eyes and could still feel the cold of her eyes and the chill of her voice stabbing me. Even the heated spray of the water falling from my shower head could not warm my thoughts. Regina Mills stumped me. I just did not understand her change.

She had shown me several sides of her in the year and a half I had been by her side. I had battled furious Regina with fire dancing her eyes, stiff as a board and ready to do emotional harm. I also had several run ins with the sly Regina, manipulative and conniving, always planning to reach an unspoken goal. There were times when I witnessed protective Regina willing to destroy a boy who had brought her son to tears or shield a man whose late night activity were too painful for her to accept. Who could forget silly Regina, light with laughter and freely sharing her soft smiles. Then there was the seductive Regina. She used to haunt me. Quiet and warm. Focused to an amazing degree. Flushed with desire. Purposeful with every movement and with every breath.

Every Regina I had been allowed to see opened up the woman many now called Evil Queen. She was more than many expected. Most would never see her and never comprehend. Yet she judged herself to be not enough for those closest to her. I understood the feeling. But then, I understood Regina. I had always understood. Until now.

I could not comprehend this current a Regina with an arctic distance that pushed me away while it threatened me to get closer. I knew life could not be what it used to be. Our relationship had not frozen itself in time. But did it have to be so different?

I turned off the shower spray and grabbed one of those white fluffy hotel towels. As I got rid of the excess water on my body, I also got rid of my painful questions about the First Lady. I put them away and instead prepared myself for the day. I was back in command of the First Lady's detail, second in command to August. The power of the position surged through as I dressed.

It was as if the past two years of dull simplicity disappeared. All I could remember was the surge of energy that came from being on a White House detail, the crafting of each new trip. The plans to memorize. The crowds to scan. The classified information that was drummed into the mind so, when needed, it could pour out without hesitation. It allowed the body to stay focus and primed, ready to act according or react constructively.

How could I have not missed this? The first day had just begun and every one of my senses was already aching with awareness. I felt more alive in this moment than I had ever in my life. It was like stepping out of the shower into the cold breeze. Every part of me reacted at once. I tried to tamper down my anticipation. No one liked an itchy agent.

I placed the last button of my clothing in place and took a quick look in the mirror. One sweep of my head made sure my hair was up in its proper bun. No wayward blond wisps had escaped. The collar of my crisp white shirt was neatly down. A slight peek of the peach skin of my neck slipped through the top where one button sat undone. Tossing on my jacket, I smiled. One more look into the mirror was all I needed. Sorry Will Smith. It was all me. I make this look look damn good.

The confidence I felt leaving my hotel followed me into the White House, up the elevator and to the Secret Service station. No smile adorned my face, but my steps were firm and sure. I was ready for today. I was ready for Regina Mills. But I was not ready to see Harlan Davis at the station with the other agents.

The appearance of the stout, hairy little man stilled my swagger. Where he sat, unpleasantness was sure to be in the adjoining seat. The man was just putrid personified.

Davis had always been second best to me. He graduated magna cum laude from West Point. I graduated summa cum laude. He earned the general's honors in his fifth year of service. I did it in my third. He served ten years as a field officer before being promoted to an agent. I did it in half the time and with more accolades.

He had been irritatedly riding my bumper for as long as I had known him. It ate at him, earning him the nickname Grumpy from our class of agents. Yet another slight he blamed on me. Of course, he would have taken full advantage my leaving to gain the top spot on the First Lady's detail. I doubt he was happy with my return, especially since it was a command straight from the President.

I paused in my steps. What was needed at this moment was the wall. I blacked out my emotion, erasing them with one swipe as if I was a teacher at a chalkboard. Nothing was on display. My mind was clear. My emotions fenced in and guarded. Let the day begin.

"Good morning gentlemen." I said as I made my way to the main desk across from the First Lady's quarters. The three agents of the around the clock detail were gathered at the desk, including my newest colleague Lance Morgan. They talked amongst themselves, ignoring the half a dozen agents mulling around that made up her regular detail.

Lance looked up first, a welcoming smile already on his face. We had become fast friends as he showed me around the White House yesterday. His strong Boston accent came clearly out during my tour of the famous home. He had taken his time pointing out the small changes made since my first go-around.

"Emma, why didn't you tell me you were going to be taking over the detail? Not that I mind. There's only so much I can take of Grumpy in one shift."

"Watch it Red. I am still trying to figure out how you slipped through the cracks." Davis mumbled as he stood from his seat. "I told them to fire you months ago."

"Good thing the Evil Queen couldn't give two shits about we think." Lance joked. The smile quickly left his face when he realized how loudly he had uttered what others whispered about. Sometimes the best jokes came from the worse truths. And this was a man who spoke the truth. I respected him in that moment and hoped his mouth would not lead him out of a job. Because who was I to judge? My mouth was always my biggest problem and the least of my concerns.

It hurt my heart that since I left the Queen had decided to stop listening to the suggestions of her security. A good security team needed two things to do its job well. Adequate up to date information and the trusted obedience of its charge. No one had to tell me gaining Regina Mills trust was hard. She was a woman who gleefully would run you down then step on you if you stood in the way of the way she wanted to go. The incident in Balkaram six months ago that earned international news coverage was a prime example.

The First Lady had been told to stay behind her security team. But she had other plans. She wanted to address the crowd and she did. And she nearly got a boot in the face. According to news reports, four men quit her detail after the chaos that ensued. It reminded us all how dangerous the spotlight was on the first family.

That incident happened with no intel of a planned attack and no warnings of imminent danger from our intelligence community. Today there was such intel. Intel I would later get a detailed tour of from August. Until I knew more, I refused to take any disobedience lightly. No lives would be loss under my leadership, definitely not hers. I felt a confrontation between I and the Queen was imminent for that reason and more.

Speaking of the First Lady, I looked across the area and saw her door still closed. She had never been a late sleeper. My gaze stayed on the door a little longer than necessary as I imagined what was happening behind it. Was she still lying in her ridiculously large bed, drowning in the covers and pillows? Was that small smirk still resting on her face as it always did when she was not conscious. It was as if her happiness hid in her subconsciousness.

It was then I realized had been looking too long. I looked away and surprisingly met the eyes of Davis.

"She had a busy night," was all he said. I frowned. If there was something I needed to know he should tell me. I was not the damn paparazzi. I took the same oath as him. I eyed him with a harsh look in my eyes. His lips stayed seal.

The years had not smooth out the rough spots of his demeanor. He still wore his trademark smile, though no one would say it resembled anything of an actual smile. His eyes maintained a level of anger and mistrust. The thought of having to work with him bothered me greatly. I, of course, did not let it show.

"Davis." The words came out clipped, as coldly as I had said anything today. He simply nodded in response. Both of us knew he did not want me here. We did not need to hide it or address it. Accepting it, I turned for the first time to his partner in crime, his usual cohort.

Bobby Knod was a quiet man, one who knew how to blend in the background. It was a handy skill in our line of work. But he did not have a spine to make real use of such a skill. If Davis was Grumpy. Knod was Bashful.

"Why are you both still here?" Usually the detail shared information then withdrew, much like a changing of the guards. Knod looked to Davis for the answer.

"We did not want to leave you hanging on your first day back." Davis' voice was normal, not a hint of vitriol. Yet I felt it all the same, especially when he added, "We figured we should make sure everything is good before we go. Make it easy on you."

Easy on me? I brimmed with anger inside, but refused to let it show.

"How kind of... an asshole you are?" I said in a matter of fact tone. My voice stayed as leveled as Davis. I heard Lance chuckle besides me. It made me like him even more.

"The day I need you two to make things easy for me is the day I order you to do so."

Knod looked down, perfectly reprimanded. Davis snarled. I did not care. I had said my piece and was now on to more important things.

"You guys are welcome to stay though. Any idea on when the Queen will make an appearance?" I nodded towards the First Lady's door. Just as Knod prepared to respond, no answer was needed. The First Lady walked out of her room. Every agent stood at attention, ready for the day's activities. Her two details merged into one.

I had already sent out today's itinerary. Since she was getting an early start, so were we. Our daily briefing would wait until after the first engagement.

I trained my eyes ahead, ignoring the desire to let them roam over her. My heart rate jumped. I was not sure if it was the return of the anticipation that started my day or if it was her presence. She did have a way of causing my body to react. She seemed to always effect me, even without a word or any acknowledgment from her at all. It required no effort from her to unbalance me. I was not pleased with the fact. But I knew it. So my will prepared itself to be tested once again. It seemed this would be its daily testing.

She was dressed for action today. It was rare she wore anything normal people would consider casual. But when she did, she wore the hell out of it. It amazed me how she could still look regal in the most unlikely of wardrobes. Like now, when she wore a sleek jogging suit with a jumper.

Her eyes crossed the room before they fell on me. A look of surprise appeared on her face. Did she think my presence the day before had been merely a dream? I nodded at her, assuring that it was most definitely real. Her mouth drew in a firm line. The blank stare returned. Inside I sighed almost wearily. This was going to be another long day.

"Queen is on the move." I muttered into the radio microphone fastened on the lapel of my suite jacket as she made a sharp turn around the corner.

On that cue, agents started to move. The First Lady did not have to spare us a glance. She walked owmward, each steps quickly taking her to the elevator. Her assistant followed behind. We aligned ourself to her side. I took the spot to her left. No one said a word. This was a dance as old as the presidency. We all knew our place.

"Kathryn, what can I expect when we get to the school?" Regina asked her assistant. The tall blonde looked down at her iPad as we stepped onto the elevator.

"The usual. The kids will be waiting in the auditorium to meet you. After your speech, you will have breakfast with them, tour the children's new computer lab and meet their elite math team."

"All girls correct?"

"Five girls, ages ten to 13."

Impressive I thought. A small sound noting that escaped my lips. It was barely audible, but that did not matter. The First Lady immediately turned with hawk eyes on me.

"Would you like to add anything Miss Swan?"

I turned my head in her direction, but said nothing.

"No? Nothing? No inspiring moment similar to this from your visit to Ohio? No motivational spiel from your days in the heartland?"

Her voice dripped with a dark sarcasm, sharpened and directed straight at me. I turned my head back towards the door of the elevator and counted silently to ten. She was in a rare mood today. Or maybe this was no longer a rare mood for her. I was not going to let it get to me. I stayed focused.

"No ma'am." I could hear more than see the sneer she must have been wearing as she spoke.

"Then maybe you should learn not to interrupt, Miss Swan? After all, security works best when it does not draw attention."

"Yes ma'am." The words scratched at my throat. Their unpleasant feeling much like bile rose in my stomach. We walked off the elevators and fell back in position. I could feel all of the agents eyes on me. I heard the soft chuckling of Davis at my back. This was the First Lady I had to get use to. The charm of her wit was lost in the fire of it. And it stung.

I pushed pass my own anger and led the team outside. Four black vehicles were waiting for us at the side. I walked briskly to her limo. I could hear her shoes click against the cemented sidewalk as she tried to keep with my pace.

"There is no need to lead us like cattle Miss Swan."

If only I had a prod. But her words had come out breathy. Perhaps I was walking too fast. I tried to push the thought out of my head as I opened her door. She frowned at me as if all the problems of the world were caused by me.

"How would you like to be led, ma'am?" I asked sweetly. She smiled at me, though to me it looked more like a snarl.

"If you have to ask dear, maybe you should not be the lead?" She answered harshly as she slid in her seat.

I frowned as I watch the other agents look away. Only one agent looked me in the eye with an evil glee. He was the same agent I unluckily was sharing the ride with to the school. I was in one limo with an agent who couldn't stand me, a charge who seemed to want to skin me and an assistant who... who cared about her. I held off a groan. This was going to be a long day.


	5. Chapter 4

We reached Bellview Elementary School right on schedule. Luckily for us, the traffic worked in our favor. Of course when we had police blocking off every intersection and keeping all other cars from going our direction, traffic rarely worked against us.

Those of us inside the Queen's carriage welcomed the speed of the trip. The mood inside her SUV was nearly as dark as its paint job. Tension made the small space we temporarily inhabited even more constrictive. To make matters worse, we spent the time trapped in the space in an awkward silence. It was as if an unwritten ban on small talk existed in the presence of the First Lady.

The oppressive unease loomed over us all, but no one else seemed to concern themselves with it. Maybe this was par for course. Another change I must accept. The First Lady certainly did not mind. She remained still as a stone, yet also relaxed as one as she avoided contact with everyone including mine.

At any other time, I would think she was avoiding us in anger, irritation or frustration. Those seem to be her prevalent moods these days. But today was different. She kept her distance from everyone else, not because she was annoyed or was in a reclusive mood. She was focused intensely on the speech was to give to a room full of six to thirteen year olds.

I thought it was pretty adorable. Her lips moved silently as her eyes fervently scanned the text on the electronic tablet in her hands. I stopped the smile pulling at my lips as I watched her. She was reading her speech for the third time. She was that nervous.

The First Lady was not a woman who wore her nerves on her sleeves, but little hints proved they were there. I knew it was hard to believe. If I shared with anyone how nervous the royal pain became when speaking publicly I doubted they would believe me.

She did it so eloquently. Who would believe that right before and right after every speech, or any moment on stage, she had to take a moment to herself to rein in her nerves. Not even those paid to watch over her, the men on the detail, knew the truth. She played it off as if it was a need to get away from the "commoners".

She fooled them all. If it were not for our past she would have fooled me. Because of our history, I knew why she read her speech over and over again. Not because she could not remember it. She did it because it helped ease her mind.

"Has something amused you, Miss Swan?"

All eyes, including hers, turned to me as she asked the question. Her left eyebrow perked as her gaze roamed over me. It was then I realized that smile, I had been battling to keep hidden, had revealed itself. It really was her fault, I thought. If she did not want my smile she should have tried to be less appealing. My smile grew more in defiance to her. Her frown grew in irritation. There she was. The First Lady… regal in every way. Giving in, I lost my smile.

"No ma'am." None of my frustration revealed itself in my voice thankfully. I was frustrated. Frustrated with this game of one-upmanship we seemed to be stuck playing. Frustrated that we have not really talked since I gotten back. Hell, I was frustrated just being in her presence knowing that the connection we once shared no longer seemed to exist. The First Lady appeared not to share my frustration. But appearances could be deceiving.

"Very well." She said. Her eyes returned to her speech. "For a moment there, I thought you had something to share. And as both you and I know, you are not a big fan of sharing."

She added a tint of venom to the last word, and I was not alone in catching it. The others quickly looked away from me, but I read the thoughts flittering through their minds on their faces. They had heard the rumors. By the expressions on their faces and the way they tried to avoid my gaze, they believe them.

I wondered if she knew what she was implying by her statement. Maybe it was supposed to hit like a double-edge sword. Hitting me intentionally with past memories but, just as intentionally, reinforcing a rumor that did not place her marriage in the brightest of lights. But when was the reality of her marriage ever really in a bright light? Perhaps I was overthinking her moves. But when it came to the First Lady, overthinking was the prevailing way to think.

I sighed. It was really nothing to concern myself over. Why I was thinking about it now made no sense. My train of thought was everywhere and needed focus. That was also her fault. I still was not use to being back in her presence I turned to my own electric tablet and went over the security plans for the school. This was my first day leading a detail. Nothing could go wrong. As we pulled up to the school, I secured my i.f.b. and my weapon, and reinforced my wall.

* * *

* * *

 

I could see her hands tremble slightly as she quickly stepped off of the stage. The noise of the standing ovation saturated the room. No one even tried to make a sound as it continued. What was the point? The sound of the children's cheers was deafening. It brought smiles to all of the First Lady's staff, especially Kathryn.

Still, the smile that was on the a First Lady's lips when she waved her momentary farewell to the children disappeared as she passed me and stepped backstage. I had stood just out of eyesight of the crowd as she spoke. Now I, along with Davis, immediately moved away from the curtains and to her side. We gave her just enough space for her to feel free to speak candidly, but stayed close enough where she knew she was covered.

We were making good time. One spot on the itinerary was crossed off, yet several more remained. Kathryn rushed to her side, passing along her phone and tablet. The blonde aide whispered in her ear. Though the words were quietly said, my best guess was she was giving her boss some well deserved praise. From the small smile that crossed the First Lady's face, she seemed to appreciate it.

Kathryn understood the First Lady like any good aide. In the years they had been together, she had keenly picked up on Madame Lockley' changing emotions. And right now,she could tell her boss needed her space. After a quick glance at her phone, she stepped away from the room. The First Lady moved decisively towards the small office the school had given her to make any last minute preparation.

The room was a small square. It looked more like an empty closet than an actual room. But it offered the First Lady space to herself.

She once told me the story of her first speaking engagement. It was back when she was simply Regina. It had been a simple introduction of her father, who was celebrating nearly a decade as Maine's middle of the road senior senator. She was barely touching her teens at the time and had prepared days in advance for the less than 30 seconds introduction.

It should have gone smoothly for her. But right before she stood to take her spot in the spotlight, her mother leaned into her ear and whispered a terrifying warning.

"These are the moments that make and break careers. Don't break your father's, dear. You know what it would do to him."

Regina remembered turning her gaze to her dad, whose focus was on the current speaker. He looked so happy. She would never want to take that away. She felt the entire weight of the world fall on her shoulder in that instance. And that weight had been there ever since then. It was why she still got nervous stepping in public. One speech can make you, she had told me in a haunted voice. And just as easily one speech could ruin you.

I was glad she still took the moment to compose herself. She needed it. Davis made a move to follow her, but I stopped him with a sharp shake of my head. His brow furrowed in confusion and anger he tried to hide. He was a failure with that as well. Since I needed to give no explanations for him to follow my order, I gave none. I nodded for him to stand at the outer door. While his eyes showed his standard grumpiness, he moved just as I silently ordered.

I, alone, took my place at the door of the office. My eyes remained front and center, but any good Secret Service agent knew the importance of peripheral vision. I saw her run both hands through her hair, a move to comfort instead of groom herself. She leaned against the desk, her eyes to the ceiling. I was curious about her thoughts. She seemed so trapped by them.

My focus on her broke as I felt movement to my side. Shifting directions, I saw a small, elderly woman entered the room. She carried a small tray with a single teacup. She smiled as I stepped in front of her. She already knew the protocol. Her smile shared her compliance. I surveyed the tray in her hand then nodded. With a small smile in return, I stepped to the side. Finding my spot at the door, I watched as she entered. Regina immediately sat up, irritation showing on her eyes.

"What is this?" She ordered.

The older lady lost her smile at the First Lady harsh voice. No one wants to irritate the president's wife after all. But she continued to make her way to the irritated woman. When she was just in front of her she presented her with the tray.

"We were told you would need this." She leaned forward moving the tray closer into the First Lady's space. The First Lady eyed it cautiously. The older lady tried again.

"It's just as requested. A small porcelain cup. Herbal full leaves. Steeped for five minutes. Oh!" She exclaimed as she reached into her apron's front pocket. "Stirred with a silver spoon."

She pulled out the silver spoon and handed it to the First Lady.

"I didn't order tea." Regina whispered confusingly as she took the item the woman gave her.

"Your security emailed us the order before you arrived. They wanted to give us time to find the exact items."

I felt her eyes on me, accusations looming in them. But my eyes stayed focused on the hallway ahead. She did not question who sent the order. No one else knew of her little trick for retaining calmness. She considered it a weakness that she needed one.

She had told me her secret in her most desperate of times. The fact I used it now most likely graded her nerves. I did not care. Tea was second only to a shoulder rub in settling her. I did not believe she would accept any hands on her shoulders at the moment. The tea would have to do.

She cleared her throat and stirred the tea with her silver spoon, before giving the woman before her a winning smile.

"Thank you."

The elderly woman curtsied. Yes, she actually curtsied before she stepped towards the door. She stopped when the First Lady raised her finger slightly.

"What about-"

"The tea has been made exactly to your preferences, Ma'am," the woman quickly answered, already guessing the First Lady's question. With that she took her leave.

I did my best to ignore the jump in my heartbeat as I watch her hold the cup close, just under her nose. Some things never changed. This was her routine before every cup. She breathed deeply, taking in the warm herbal scent. Her head tipped to the side, and one eyebrow shot up. I knew what she was thinking. This time my smile remained hidden.

She brought the tea to her lips, a sarcastic smirk still in place. This one was not forced. I doubt she even knew it was there. She took a small sip but it seemed to be enough. For I heard the simplest of sighs leave her lips. It was a sigh saved for the sweetest of pleasures.

"Perfection." She murmured as she took another sip and slowly walked to me. I steeled myself, never knowing what to expect from her. She leaned against the doorframe as she cradled the warm teacup against her.

"Isn't it funny, Miss Swan… the small details we can remember? Details we would otherwise consider insignificant."

She spoke wistfully, like she was thinking of a faraway time, a better time. She was not the First Lady that loathed me. Not now. She was the Regina I once knew. The Regina who at times got lost in the life she was living and yearned for a life she once led. Or at least she seemed to be. As always, I turned towards her like I was pure metal drawn to a magnet.

"Nothing I remember about you is insignificant. And I remember everything."

The words were out of my mouth, like a vow, before my eyes were even upon her. When I did look at her, she was looking away.

"Unfortunately so do I, Miss Swan."

Regret painted her smile. A hushed sorrow occupied the space between us. All I wanted to do was push it to the side, to clear it. But she seemed to sense my plans. She stiffened as she moved away from me and to the outer door where Davis stood watching us.

I moved to follow her, my body overtaking my common sense. Luckily I was saved by Kathryn's return. She entered the door seconds before the First Lady walked out of it, stopping her exit. Before I could readjust, we were on the move again.

Taking my place at her side, I tried to ignore the moment earlier that could have easily been more. It was better not to think of it. The First Lady did not need me to walk her down memory lane right now. She needed me to protect her, to serve her and the country as I had pledged. With footsteps never leaving her side and eyes focused on everyone and everything, that was what I did.

* * *

* * *

 

"Madame First Lady, I don't think this is the best move... to leave the majority of your detail outside the building."

At first I wasn't sure she heard my opposition. She had barely looked my way since the moment when we were backstage. I was about to reiterate my point when she turned swiftly in my direction.

"Miss Swan, I will not enter a room with more security than there are actual children inside of the room."

"There is a reason—" I started but she harshly interrupted with a shake of her head.

"This is nonsense really." She turned to Davis, looking him directly in the eye. "What do you think?"

The other secret service agents grew still. Everyone knew I was the lead agent. The fact she was asking for a second opinion was like a slap on the face. It pushed my men to challenge me.

"It does not matter what he thinks." I growled.

"It does to me." She threw dismissively at me, then looked once again to Davis. He kept perfect composure, but his eyes lit with an evil glint at my expense.

"Well, ma'am…" Davis said, faking a pause in speech as if he was uncomfortable with the position he was in. But he was loving every minute of it, the bastard.

"I think you should be all right with one or two agents by your side. There was no problem backstage."

The First Lady grinned at the reminder of her last win. No, this was not the first time I had argued that she needed to maintain her detail at all times.

"You are correct, Agent Davis. I'm glad we agree." She said , giving me a pointed look. She knew she had me on the ropes. She was the First Lady after all. "It's settled then."

"It's not settled." I argued, feeling the wind of defeat blowing hard.

"It's settled, Miss Swan," the First Lady replied. Her voice rang with finality. There was no point in arguing anymore. But I stepped in front of her, making sure I had her attention. She may have won this battle, but I'd be damn if she ignored me while I submitted.

"Fine. We will have a man posted on the outside of each possible entrance and exit. That includes the windows of this room."

"Miss Swan!" She exclaimed, but I did not give her room to interrupt.

"Davis and I will once again be at your side for the remainder of this trip." I turned to the other agents on the detail, and was happy to see their eyes already on me.

"I don't care that this is a classroom. I don't care that this is a small elementary school. I want this place as secure as the White House. IFBs should be on at all time and clear for directions, serious questions or alerts. If you think it is of interest, share it. Every person that makes it five feet from the First Lady should have three sets of eyes on them. The First Lady can relax her concerns. You cannot. Am I understood?" Nods from each man told me all I needed to know. A quick flick of my wrist and everyone took their place.

It felt good not to have my orders questioned. I smirked confidently at the First Lady.

"We are ready when you are, ma'am."

I saw trouble in her pause before she glanced at me.

"I was thinking... maybe you would like... Agent Davis should— "

"No." I said. The word was a knife cutting down any need to argue. She once again questioned my authority. But there was a limit. I was not stepping from lead. Her eyes widen as she looked at me. It looked as if she was finally understanding.

"Oh well." She shrugged as she turned to enter the science class. A group of elite mini mathematicians waited. Davis and I were at her side as always.

Where her nerves had consumed her earlier, in this small classroom she acted as if she was at home. Regina Mills was a master at one on ones and small crowds. The kids buzzed as she looked at each of their inventions. Some of them amazed me.

One girl had come up with a way to walk her dog on what looked like a big hamster wheel. Amazingly the dog stayed As she explained how the lift and tilt of the wheel directly effected her dog's enjoyment in his exercise. I just stared at her dog hanging onto a huge hamster wheel, smiling while walking himself.

As the time stretched on, she as always commanded the room. I stayed out of her way. I eventually decided to command the detail from the sidelines, letting Davis take my spot beside her. I hated it, but it seemed to put her more at ease. And that was more important.

It was not until I noticed movement to my side that I realized I was not alone on the sidelines. A small girl, no more than eight-years old, sat at the table next to mine, watching the same scene as I while she played with her own science project.

She watched as the First Lady stood in the classroom with the four gifted girls that were a part of their elite math team. She quizzed them, taking delight in their quick answers. Time flew by and before anyone realized the recess bell was ringing. As the children and media filed into an outer room for refreshments, the girl at the table to my side did not move.

Her inquisitive eyes were on the First Lady's. And The First Lady had finally noticed her. She waved away the rest of the media, promising she would join them in the next room. As they left, she approached the little girl. At first, I expected the girl to run. Isn't that what shy kids do. She was obviously shy. Why else would she be away from the crowd.

I stood stiff as the First Lady sat down with the little girl. I was back in my spot at her side. Davis immediately took his original position.

"Mind if I sit here?" the First Lady asked with a little girl shrugged and looked down at the project in her hand. It just looked like a bunch of sticks to me, but then I'm no math whiz. The First Lady looked down as well, also intrigued.

"What are you working on?"

"Nothing." It was a quick reply. And Regina chose to believe her. They sat in quiet as the little girl worked. Ever now and then the girl perked her head up to look ahead. It was whenever she heard the laughter of the group of girls playing in the other the room. By the fifth peek, Regina just had to ask.

"Are those your friends?"

"No." Came another quick reply.

"Why not?" She waited as the little girl thought about the question. Whatever decision she was struggling with the little girl made. She bowed her head and whispered conspiratorially.

"I gave Lissa a birthday card."

"That sounds very nice of you." The First Lady's reply was simple. It should not have made the little girl frown. But it did.

"It was stupid. It had hearts on it." The way the child whispered the last sentence caught both The First Lady's and my attention. Her voice was strained, filled with an unseen sadness. Hearts should never make a little girl sad. The First Lady lightened her tone, knowing she needed to tread lightly.

"Oh. And Lissa doesn't like hearts?"

"She tore it up in my face... In front of everybody." The girl's head bowed so close to her body I feared for her neck. She was like a star physically collapsing on herself. Regina's expression poured out sympathy and shared sorry with the girl. If only she would look up to receive it .

"I understand." Regina whispered back. The little girl scofedf, and Regina smiled at the small show of spirit.

"I do. Not everyone likes my gifts."

"But you are the First Lady. They have to like you."

Regina looked around the room to make sure they were alone. Only I and Davis were witness to the kind of sincerity few people saw from her. She leaned into the girl. Her body language portrayed they were about to share a secret.

"Can I tell you something you will tell no one else?" Regina asked. The little girl finally looked up and nodded.

"The men in black you see around me all the time. They call me the Evil Queen." Regina looked at the agents at her side. Davis stiffened in guilt. I shrugged. The little girl gazed at Regina with wide eyes.

"Really?"

"Yes. Not everyone likes me. There are some people who I really liked..." She paused. Her eyes fell on me again. The pain in her eyes surprised and confused me. It was not the place for an explanation, but I wanted one. Yet I said nothing. And she continued.

"Let us just say that I have experienced what you are experiencing. Not the exact circumstances, but it was similar. You give someone something you perceive to be a gift. And when it isn't well received, it hurts."

The little girl nodded fervidly in agreement. Regina looked at the girl with a soft smile.

"That's when you remind yourself... Why did you give her the card?"

"To say happy birthday." The girl answered it as if it was the easiest question she had ever heard. But Regina pushed.

"You could have just said it. Why give her the card?" The girl once again thought about it. When she had her answer, she shared.

"I wanted her to know I like her. I wanted to show her."

Regina gave her a brilliant grin.

"Yes. And you did. That's what matters. It doesn't stop the hurt of her rejection but…" She paused, then started again. "But doesn't it make you a little proud to know you were able to show someone you like them?"

"Proud? I didn't do nothing." The little girl rested her chin on her left palm.

"Nothing?! One of the hardest things in the world, harder than math... being First Lady...even being the president... Can be telling someone you like them. The thought alone can make you feel as if your mind is mash potatoes and your body is made of stone."

"Yeah!"

The little girl suddenly grew animated jumping up from her seat. "I was standing there holding it... and my hands wouldn't let it go. I was crushing it but I couldn't move. And I tried to talk two times."

"I believe you. Two times!" Regina mimicked the girl's shocked voice. "It took you only two tries and on the third one you did it. You did it in front of the entire class."

The little girl smiled as she nodded. Regina enjoyed the little girl's happiness.

"So you didn't make a... A friend today. you did do something hard. You did it. And you should be proud."

The child sat quietly for a moment. Then gave Regina a huge grin.

"I am."

"Good. I am as well."

The girl looked at Regina. For the first time she really looked at her. She seemed to appreciate her effort today.

"How come you are not president?" The girl asked in a way on a child could.

"Great. Now you sound like my mother." Regina rolled her eyes jokingly. The little girl laughed. "Miss Swan, can you get this lovely lady a beverage?"

I nodded and took the child by the shoulder as I lead her into the room with the other guests.

"Kid, you like punch?"

"I'm a kid, ain't I?"

I chuckled. The kid definitely had spirit. It did not seem like today would scar her. Before I could pour her a drink, an loud wailing filled the room. At first, I thought a prankster had pulled the fire alarm. Then I smelled smoke. Not enough to cause frantic. But enough to make me worry.

Apparently I was not the only one. Suddenly everyone made a beeline for the exit. Looking around I could not see any recognizable faces. My men looked lost in the reporters. I held on to the kids' hand and made my way back to the room where I left the First Lady. As I struggled with the crowd, I opened my mic.

"Any eyes on the Queen?" I screamed. "Alert! Who has eyes on the Queen?"

Several blind responses followed my question. My men voices flittered into my ear like an echo. All I heard was, "No eyes. No eyes." My blood chilled as I looked through the faces in the crowd hoping to see her. My ears perked as I listened through the mayhem hoping to hear her angry voice.

There was nothing. And as I finally made it through the doors of the room where I had left her, the emptiness of the space matched the emptiness I felt right at that moment. I was numb but only for a moment. Sudden fear hit me. I had lost the Queen. My God, I had lost her!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I doubt I will be able to post an update tomorrow. I have several diy projects to finish up this weekend. Thank you all for your support. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Next chapter: one word. Confrontations.


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